Traction-gripper for cable railways



(No Model.)

M. A. MIOHALES.

TRACTION GRIPPER FOR CABLE RAILWAYS.

No. 406,928. Patented July 16, 1889- N4 PETERS. Phnwume n n-r,Wzshingtnn. D. C.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

MOSES A. )IICIIALES, OF ALLEGHENY, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO JOHN T.MOORE, OF PITTSBURG, PENNSYLVANIA.

TRACTION-GRIPPER FOR CABLE RAILWAYS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 406,928, dated July 16,1889.

Original application filed May 15, 1888, Serial No. 273,951. Divided andthis application filed July 10, 1888- Serial No. 279,515.

(No model.)

To aZZ whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, MOSES A. MICHALES, a citizen of the United States,residing at Allegheny, in the county of Allegheny and State ofPennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inTraction-Grippers for able Railways; and I hereby declare the followingto be a full, clear, and exact description of the same, reference beinghad to the accompanying drawings, wherein Figure 1 is an elevation of aportion of a track and a truck having applied thereto a combined gripperand brake embodying my invention. Fig. 2 is a plan or top view of thesame. Fig. 3 is a vertical transverse section of Fig. 2 on the line .1,looking in the direction of the arrow. Fig. l is a detached sectionalperspective view of the cable-grip, showing the cable released. Fig. 5is a detached view of the rail-brake.

Like letters refer to like parts wherever they occur.

The present invention is a division of ap plication, Serial No. 273,951,filed May 15, 1888, which relates more especially to the construction oftracks and trucks for elevated railroads, and is intended to cover allsuch features of grippers and combined gripper and brake therein shownand described, but not claimed, as are of general utility in any cableroad.

The main feature of the present invention consists in the combination ofa cable-grip, a rail-grip, and intermediate rock-shaft and gearmechanism common to both, whereby the two are simultaneously andreverse-1y operated, while minor features of said invention relate tothe particular construction of the grip, whereby the combination iseffected and the wear and cutting of the cable are avoided, all as willhereinafter more fully appear.

I will now proceed to describe my invention more fully, so that othersskilled in the art to which appertains may apply the same.

In the drawings, indicates the track, and D a truck adapted thereto,said truck being formed with side sills I) and and end sills D. One ofthe sills D may have an angular bend or offset (1, as shown in Fig. 2,or in lieu thereof a bracket, to provide asupport for the rail-brake inline laterally with the gripper and directly over one of the rails U.

Bolted securely to the inner faces of the side sills of the truck, aboutmidway between the ends, is an angle-plate (P, the central part or webof which is provided at its under side with a groove IF to form theupper or fixed half of a cable-grip, while at each end of this groovedweb are downwardlyprojeeting ears (1", in which the ends of the axles ofthe cable guide-rolls (2 are journaled.

On the upper faces of the side sills of the truck are securedjournal-boxes, in which is mounted a transverse shaft (1 provided with acrank-arm l", to the end of which is pivoted the upper end of a rodwhich passes through an opening in the angle-plate (Z and carries at itslower end a grooved shoe (Z forming the lower or movable part of thecable-grip, which shoe (Z is arranged to rise and fall verticallybetween the cable guiderolls (7, so that when the shoe (Z is depressedto loosen the grip or hold on the cable the cable will travel upon theanti-friction guiderollers d.

It will be observed from the above construction that when the grip isreleased it is entirely freed from the cable, so there is no chance forwear or cutting of either cable or grip by the friction of one upon theothers.

To the center of the shaft d is keyed a beveled skew-gear (Z meshingwith a similar gear (1", keyed to a vertical brake-shaft (Z journaled ina bearing secured to the inner face of the sill. l) of the truck. Thisbrakeshaft is also fitted with a rigidly-secured pinion d, meshing witha similar pinion (Z keyed on another vertical brake-shaft (1,journaledin a bearing secured to the outer face of said side sill D The lowerends of these brakeshaftsd and d, are preferably cranked or bentrearwardly and provided with brakeshoes designed to grasp or be broughtin frictional contact with the web of the rail by rotation of the shafts(1 and d, and it is to afford facility for this construction and operation chiefly that the sill D of the truck is provided with the anglebend or offset d. On the shaft (1 is also a crank-arm G, to which issecured one end of a rod g, the other end of rod g being secured to anoperating-lever fulcrumed in bearings on the platform of the car (notshown) with which the above-described devices are employed.

The devices being constructed and combined substantially as hereinbeforespecified, will operate as follows: The car being at rest, thebrake-shoes attached to or operated by shafts d and (Z Will be infrictional contact with the track-rail, and the cable released orrunning free, as indicated in Fig. 4. If now the crank-arm G be moved bymeans of rod g from an operating-lever placed on the platform of theear, the shaft (Z will be rotated, and through the medium ofskew-gearing (l and d" and pinions (Z and (Z will rotate the verticalshafts (Z and (Z releasing the brakes. By the same rotation of the shaftwhich releases the brakes the crank-arm (Z is raised, thereby liftingthe grooved shoe (1 forming the lower member of the grip, which raisesthe cable off the guide-rolls c1 and clamps it against the fixed member(Z of the grip.

,The reverse movement of shaft (Z releases the cable and simultaneouslyapplies the brake.

It is evident that the brakes need not necessarily be formed 011 or withthe vertical shafts cl and d, as shown, but may be independent brakesactuated therefrom, as the main object of the combination is to insurethe application of the brakes at the instant and by the motion whichreleases the grip on the cable.

I do not herein claim the construction of track and truck chosen forpurposes of illustration and shown in the drawings, as the same formsthe subject-matter of an application, Serial No. 273,951, filed May 15,1888; nor do I herein claim the particular construction of brake shown,as the same forms the subject-matter of an application, Serial No.279,514, filed of even date herewith; but,

Having thus described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secureby Letters Patent, 1s

1. The combination, with a grip rail-brake having rotating brake-shaft,of a cable-grip and an interposed rock-shaft having a gearing, and acrank-arm for simultaneously and reversely operating both the grip andbrake, substantially as and for the purposes described.

2. In a combined grip and brake mechanism for cable roads, thecombination, with a bar which aetuates the grip and a grip railbrake, ofan interposed rock-shaft for simultaneously and reversely operating boththe grip and brake mechanism, substantially as and for the purposesdescribed.

3. The combination of a grip mechanism, a brake mechanism, and aninterposed rockshaft connected with the gripper-bar, and skew-gearingfor connecting the rock-shaft with the rotating shaft which actuatcs therail-brakes, substantially as and for the purposes described.

4. In a gripping mechanism for cable railways, the combination of anangle-iron having a rigid jaw, cable-supporting rollers journaled in theends of said angle-iron, and a movable jaw located beneath said rigidjaw intermediate of said rollers, substantially as and for the purposesspecified.

5. In a cable-grip, the'combination of the angle-plates d having thefixed half-grip (i the cable guide-rollers (Z and the intermediatemovable shoed substantially as and for the purposes specified.

6. In a combined cable grip and brake mechanism, the combination of theangleplates (1 having fixed half-grip d movable shoed verticalbrake-shafts cl c1 shaft (1 and suitable gearing for connecting theparts, substantially as and for the purposes specified.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature, in presence of two witnesses,this 7th day of July, 1888.

MOSES A. MIOHALES.

itn esses:

JNo. B. DIAMOND, CHARLES LARGE.

